October 10, 2017 – Napa, CA – In response to several major Napa County fires that started burning the night of October 8th and have displaced thousands of area residents thus far, Napa Valley Community Foundation (NVCF) has activated a Disaster Relief Fund for fire victims.

The Fund was originally established in response to the South Napa Earthquake of 2014 with a $10 million lead gift from Napa Valley Vintners, and ultimately helped provide services to more than 12,000 earthquake victims, including cash aid to 1,400 of those hardest-hit by the last declared disaster in the region.

Today, NVCF will be convening decision-makers from the nonprofit sector and local government to assess urgent needs, identify short-term gaps and gather information that will inform longer-term recovery efforts. NVCF will do this work in collaboration with Napa Valley Community Organizations Active in Disaster (aka, the Napa Valley COAD), a grouping of community service organizations brought together by the Foundation to improve coordination and communication among nonprofits — and between local government agencies, the charitable sector, faith communities and the private sector — following a disaster. The Napa Valley COAD is under the fiscal sponsorship of the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL).

The Foundation will also distribute immediate response grants to a targeted list of local nonprofits that were pre-approved to receive such grants following the 2014 earthquake. Grants will focus on organizations providing services such as medical care, counseling, temporary shelter and meals to the individuals and families affected by the fire. On the heels of the South Napa Earthquake and the 2015 fires in Lake County, most of these organizations received intensive technical assistance from NVCF to boost their capacity to respond to natural disasters.

“The fires have been truly devastating for our community, and we extend our sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and also those who have lost homes and businesses,” said NVCF President Terence Mulligan. “Unfortunately, with the fires still raging, it’s going to be days or weeks before we fully understand the extent of these losses.”

The Governor declared a state of emergency for the fires in Napa County on October 9. Individual Assistance funds from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also have been requested. Tax-deductible contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund are welcome in any amount; and more than 125 people have already made gifts by visiting this page of the Foundation’s website: napavalleycf.org/fire-donation-page/

About Napa Valley Community Foundation

Napa Valley Community Foundation helps donors transform their passion for giving into greater impact. Now celebrating 23 years of service to Napa Valley, NVCF has served as a bridge between philanthropic families and hard-working nonprofit agencies since 1994, bringing people, ideas and resources together to enhance the quality of life in our community. From American Canyon to Calistoga, NVCF has distributed more than $50 million in grants since it was founded, and currently serves as the philanthropic partner to 100 individuals, families, nonprofit agencies and corporations in Napa Valley. To learn more visit napavalleycf.org.